Veterans' care highlights topics at state Legion event

Mountain Home News managing editor Brian Orban accepts the American Legion's Fourth Estate Award on behalf of the community newspaper from Ron Derrick, the outgoing commander for the Department of Idaho, during this year's state convention.

Veterans medical care and the need to help those combating depression and thoughts of suicide took center stage earlier this month as the American Legion held its state-level convention in Moscow.

Legion representatives from posts across Idaho met over four days to address a number of issues affecting the veterans of past wars as well as those still in uniform.

Every day, this nation loses 20 veterans to suicide, said Tom Boch, who served as the American Legion's national commander from 2005 to 2006. It's these types of statistics that drives the need for the Veterans Administration to do more to provide needed care for all veterans across the United States.

"We need to improve medical care through the VA to care for our heroes," Boch said.

During the Legion's state ...

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